Reaction from Western Thrace Turks to the mufti appointments made by Greece

In the statement made by the European Western Thrace Turkish Federation (ABTTF), it was stated that the appointments made to Komotini and Xanthi muftis on October 21 ignored the will of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority.

In the statement, it was reminded that an appointment was made to Dimetoka Mufti's Office on January 9, and it was noted that muftis were appointed by the state to all three muftis in the region within the scope of Law No. 4964 adopted in 2022.

THOSE WHO BELONG TO OTHER RELIGIONS CAN DETERMINE THEIR OWN RELIGIOUS LEADERS

It was stated in the statement that muftis were transformed into public institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports with the said law, and it was emphasized that Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Protestants and Jews in Greece could determine their own religious leaders, but the Western Thrace Turkish Minority was deprived of this right.

In the statement, it was noted that the Greek administration has prevented the minority's right to elect their own religious leaders since 1991, and that muftis were converted into state offices with the law passed in 2022.

The statement called on the Greek administration to put an end to the current practice, and demanded that Ibrahim Şerif in Komotini and Mustafa Trampa in Xanthi be officially recognized as elected muftis.